We continue our 2022 NFL Dynasty Draft Fallout article coverage by examining the landing spots of rookie running backs and how that may impact your rookie drafts this upcoming season.
Let’s jump right in and go over my thoughts on the 2022 NFL Draft Dynasty Fallout for Running Backs.
The Law Firm of Hall, Walker, and Pierce is Open For Business
Whether it’s due to pure talent and/or landing spot (being synonymous with lack of competition at the position) these running backs find themselves in positions to lead their respective teams in rushing for now and the foreseeable future, all three are in a position for success for the long haul for your dynasty leagues. Let us start with Breece Hall.
Landing with the New York Jets (see what I did there) in the 2nd round, 36th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Iowa State product Breece Hall IMMEDIATELY steps into a starting role position on this team despite the incumbent presence of now fellow teammate Michael Carter. Why do I say that? Probably because if they really thought Michael Carter was the answer at running back they probably wouldn’t have drafted Hall in the second round or at all. Brilliant analysis on my part there. In the words of our own Keith Flemming, who wrote a prospect profile on Hall which can be found here,
As mentioned above his heavy workload in college, along with his receiving abilities makes him a potentially true NFL three-down back, which is rare in today’s game. For fantasy purposes, finding a three-down back to have on your roster is the equivalent of finding a winning lottery ticket.
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While Hall has had a heavy workload in his collegiate career, having Michael Carter in the backfield for the Jets to take on more of a receiving/complementary role on that offense can and will prolong Hall’s longevity making him ONE of the top dynasty fantasy assets in rookie drafts this season.
Another top fantasy rookie pick in dynasty this year has to be Kenneth Walker III. Unlike Hall who is being thrust into a starting position on the Jet offense that will look to expand their passing game with Zach Wilson, Elijah Moore, and Garrett Wilson, Walker is entering a situation in Seattle in which he should see ample volume all season long this year as long as Drew Lock is the QB there. Now, you might be asking yourselves, “What about Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny?! Aren’t they the lead backs in this Seahawks backfield?” The answer to that is a resounding NO. Chris Carson is still not fully recovered from neck surgery last season making his availability for this and coming years uncertain. As for Rashaad Penny, while he did put together a fantastic end to the 2021 season averaging 20.7 half-PPR points per game from Week 14 through the fantasy playoffs this is still the same Rashaad Penny who has never played a full season in his career due to injury and with the extra usage due to occur this season the likelihood he plays a full season is low. Walker, on the other hand, has a proven track record of being able to absorb contact consistently with minimal impact to his on-field production. For more on Walker, click here.
All that being said the rookie running back I’m most excited about from this draft class is Dameon Pierce.
Dameon Pierce, whose only competition for lead back duties is Rex Burkhead and Marlon Mack, is in a FANTASTIC position for high volume usage in the Texans backfield. It’s not often a running back with minimal wear and tear on his knees combined with being rated as one of the best running backs in terms of efficiency and missed tackle per attempt finds himself in an ideal landing spot for lead back usage. For the short-term and long-term, for dynasty, he is exactly who you should be targeting in your rookie drafts!
Other running backs of note….
James Cook (Buffalo Bills): My initial thought on him going to Buffalo was, “Hey there’s a good running back on a great offense…what could go wrong?”
The Answer: They already have a receiving back in Devin Singletary. Make no mistake Cook is a receiving back, not an in-between the tackle monster. Just because he’s related to Dalvin Cook doesn’t mean he IS Dalvin Cook. In PPR or half-PPR leagues his only upside is tied to passing down situations, which given the fact the Bills should be leading most games with Josh Allen and Co. at the helm, Cook’s upside is limited.
Isaiah Spiller (Los Angeles Chargers): Goodbye Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelly, welcome Isaiah Spiller. While not in possession of great game-breaking speed, according to our Keith Flemming, he has every other metric in his favor that if Austin Ekeler misses any time due to injury, Spiller could be a centerpiece of this Chargers offense. Heck, even if Ekeler remains on the field, the Chargers and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi could find ways to scheme up Ekeler and Spiller in a similar way as he did with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara in New Orleans. If anything in Dynasty leagues, he should be a heavily sought after running back in rookie drafts
Brian Robinson Jr. (Commanders): An elusive yet bulldozer of a running back on an offense that is likely to be run-heavy with an incumbent running back who always seems to get injured each year = BIG WIN for the Washington Commanders! In dynasty, you’re obviously playing the long game with Robinson but sooner rather than later an investment in him will pay dividends for your fantasy team.
